In between those bookends is an issue that can’t be ignored any longer. It’s the team’s No. 1 issue. An issue so big that the Vikings were prioritizing it ahead of re-signing Darnold even three weeks ago when the general public was thinking Darnold would either be given a giant long-term contract or the franchise tag at about $40 million for the 2025 season.
“There can be a thousand excuses made,” O’Connell continued while in the grips of Wonder Woman’s Lasso of Truth, listing off losing Darrisaw in Week 8 and losing O’Neill during Monday’s game. “But, for me, it’s the foundation of the interior of the pocket that we’re going to have to take a long look at.
“I thought those guys battled tonight. That’s a good, young, fast, athletic front the Rams have. But really, when you look at it over the course of the entirety of the season, we lost to two football teams, and both of them were able to do some similar things against us, be it pressure, be it some non-blitz pressure. We just weren’t able ever to find that rhythm, find those two or three plays to kind of take a little bit of the steam out of what they were doing and sustain a little bit.”
Right guard Dalton Risner is a great guy. He has been a late free-agent signing the past two years and will be a free agent again. He has been better than what the Vikings have had but, frankly, he’s not good enough. Not powerful enough.
Center Garrett Bradbury is a great guy. He has been the starter since being drafted in the first round in 2019. Frankly, he’s not powerful enough. He will be in the final year of his contract and can be cut with a $3.6 million cap savings.
Left guard Blake Brandel was a worthy experiment as a tackle-sized starting guard. But, frankly, he also isn’t powerful enough. He is signed through 2026 but can be cut for a $2.6 million cap savings.